1998 FORD WINDSTAR Complaints

AT 55,000 MILES MY 1998 WINDSTAR WITH THE 232 CUBIC INCH ENGINE, YOU GUESSED IT, BLEW A HEAD GASKET. AFTER READING ABOUT THE PROBLEMS WITH PREVIOUS MODELS, IT LOOKS AS THOUGH FORD HAS MORE PROBLEMS A"HEAD" (SORRY HAD TO). WHAT STEPS SHOULD I TAKE TO HELP THE OTHER CONSUMERS MAKE COMPLAINTS SO WE AREN'T OUT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR REPAIR COSTS THAT IS OBVIOUSLY A FORD PROBLEM? WHAT STEPS CAN I TAKE TO GET FORD TO COVER THE COSTS OF THIS REPAIR? SINCERELY, *TR

I SENT THE FOLLOWING IN AN EMAIL TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY, AND ALSO TALKED WITH THEIR "CUSTOMER SERVICE". THEY SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS DISPUTE BETWEEN THE DEALER REP AND MYSELF, AS IT WAS A FIELD DECISION. THE ORIGINAL REPAIR WAS A REBUILD OF THE DRUM BRAKE ON THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL, THE SAME WHEEL THAT LATER SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE SHOES. LUCKILY, WE WERE DRIVING AT OVER 35 MPH, SO THE WHEEL DID NOT LOCK UP UNTIL WE STOPPED AT A FRIENDS HOUSE. THE ENTIRE HUB ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REBUILT AFTER THE BRAKE SIEZED. NOTE: THIS IS THE SECOND BRAKE REBUILD. THE CAR HAS ALSO SUFFERED FROM BROKEN TIE RODS. ======================================================== THE PARSONS DEALERSHIP THAT REBUILT MY RIGHT REAR BRAKE LAST OCTOBER WILL NOT ADMIT THAT THE FAILURE OF THE BRAKE PADS, AND SUBSEQUENT COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE BRAKE ASSEMBLY LAST WEEK WHICH REQUIRED REPLACING THE DRUM, IS COVERED UNDER THEIR WARRANTY (12,000 OR 12 MONTHS.) THEY SAY IT WAS DUE TO A RUSTED PARKING BRAKE CABLE THAT SEIZED. I SAY THAT IS A BIG LOAD OF BALONEY....EVEN IF IT WAS RUSTED (IN A PRETTY NEW CAR!) THEN THEY SHOULD HAVE SEEN THAT LAST YEAR. THE TOTAL COST OF REPAIR ON 9/20/02 WAS $639.88. I WANT FORD TO: 1) MAKE PARSONS RETURN MY MONEY, AND 2) REPRIMAND PARSONS FOR POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. I WILL NOT BUY A CAR FROM THEM AGAIN, NOR WILL THEY EVER SEE MY CAR AGAIN - DESPITE THEIR ADMONITION AT THE BOTTOM OF THEIR INVOICE THAT SAYS "WARRANTY 90 DAYS OR 4000 MILES ON ADJUSTMENTS, ALIGN, BALANCE. ALL OTHER REPAIRS COVERED 12 MONTHS OR 12000 MILES. CUSTOMER MUST RETURN TO PARSONS FORD FOR DEFECTIVE REPAIRS. NO REFUNDS IF CUSTOMER TAKES TO ANOTHER REPAIR FACILITY. I WON'T GO INTO THE DELAYS (A FULL WEEK TO REPAIR THE DRUM AND BRAKE ASSEMBLY).

THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AFTER HAVING THE FLUID AND PAN GASKET CHANGED WITHIN THE PREVIOUS 6 MONTHS. SINCE IT IS A '98 AND ALTHOUGH IT HAS THE SAME TRANSMISSION AS EARLIER YEARS (WHOSE TRANSMISSIONS HAVE BEEN REPLACED AT NO COST TO THE OWNER BECAUSE OF EITHER RECALLS OR SECRET WARRANTIES) FORD REFUSED TO REPLACE THIS TRANSMISSION AT COST.

SOME TYPE OF COMPUTER CHIP FAILED THAT ENABLE THE VEHICLE TO SHIFT GEARS. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS REPAIRED AT NO COST TO ME. WE WERE TOLD BY THE SERVICE ADVISOR THAT A RECALL WAS DONE ON THE PART. HOWEVER I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED, THE AMOUNT OF THE REPAIR WAS UNKNOWN. NOW THE PAINT IS FALLING OFF & RUSTING EVERYWHERE! STARTED TO RUST ON TOP OF THE VAN ROOF THEN PAINT STARTED "CHIPPING" ON THE ROOF SIDE, WAS SMALL AT FIRST THEN ONE DAY WE HAD A LOT OF RAIN AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN AT THE END OF THE DAY I NOTICED A LOT MORE PAINT MISSING. I TAKE EXCELLENT CARE OF MY VEHICLE AND THIS IS NOT USUAL FOR ANY OF MY CARS.

I BOUGHT THIS VAN BECAUSE OF THE CLEAN CONDITION OF IT . I HAVE THE 3.0 LTR ENGINE WHICH HAS BEEN EXCELLENT. THE TRANSMISSION SO FAR IS OK. STEERING IS A DANGEROUS MESS WITH ALMOST EVERYTHING NEW AND 3 ALIGNMENTS. IF YOU TAKE YOUR EYES OFF THE ROAD EVEN FOR A SECOND YOU CAN END UP IN A DITCH. MY WIFE & I BOTH WENT OFF THE ROAD IN A 1 MONTH SPAN. WE BOTH HAVE EXCELLENT DRIVING RECORDS. THE FRONT END SEEMS OK TO FORD. SOMETHING SERIOUS IS WRONG WITH THE STEERING. WON?T LET MY WIFE DRIVE IT ANYMORE. HAS A LITTLE VIBRATION THAT YOU CANNOT GET RID OF. SENDING THIS TO YOU BECAUSE I CALLED FORD AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO SAFETY RECALL OR ANY STEERING ISSUES WITH THAT VAN. HAD A SERVICE BULLETIN IN FRONT OF ME AT THAT TIME STATING THERE WAS. BUT THAT IS NOT THE PROBLEM. FORD DENIED THE ALL OF THE ABOVE. AM AFRAID TO SELL TO SOMEONE BECAUSE I THINK SOMEONE WILL GET HURT. DON?T KNOW WHY FORD KEEPS PUTTING IN THE SAME BAD PARTS YEAR AFTER YEAR. I HAVE HAD ALL THE DOME LIGHT PROBLEMS AND DOOR LOCKS ETC. THEY WILL STILL SAY NO PROBLEMS. BOUGHT IT USED AT A GOOD PRICE THINKING IT WAS A BAD TIRE CAUSING THE PROBLEMS. IF ACCIDENT OCCURS WILL SEEK DAMAGES

PAINT IS FLAKING FROM ROOF AND DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR. PROGESSIVELEY GETTING WORSE.

PAINT IS PEELING OFF OF VAN INTEROR REMAIN ON PANEL SHOWS DOOR OPEN WHEN ITS NOT AND THE LIGHTS WILL NOT GO OUT UNTIL YOU REACH ABOUT 20MPH TRY DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH THIS.

THE PAINT ON THE ROOF OF THE VAN IS PEELING THAT IT LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE TOOK A CAN OPENER TO IT.

FUEL PUMP FUSE HAS BLOWN ON 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. *MR THE VEHICLE CEASED TO RUN WHILE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THE CONSUMER FOUND THAT IT HA BEEN A NUMBER OF VEHICLE'S WITH FUEL PUMP WIRE FAILURES DUE TO DEFECTIVE VENTING SYSTEMS FOR THE FUEL TANK. THIS CAUSES THE FUEL TANK TO DEFORM, COLLAPSE AND PINCH THE WIRES TO THE INTEGRITY MOUNTED FUEL PUMP. *SC

I CURRENTLY OWN A 1998 FORD WINDSTAR. I HAVE HAD THIS VAN FOR TWO YEARS. I BOUGHT IT WITH 38000 MILES ON IT AND NOW HAVE 66000 MILES ON IT. UP TILL ABOUT A MONTH AGO, I HAD NO PROBLEMS AS I HAVE LOVED THIS VAN. BUT I DID RUN INTO A PECULIAR PROBLEM THAT SEEMS THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE HAVING WITH THIS VAN AS I HAVE CHECKED NUMEROUS WEBSITES AND WEB POSTS ON THE INTERNET AS WELL AS MY FRIENDS THAT HAVE FORMERLY OWNED THIS VEHICLE. THE DOOR AJAR CENSOR INSIDE THE DOORS WEAR, CAUSING THE COMPUTERS TO RECOGNIZE THE CAR DOORS TO BE SHUT. THIS EMITS A BEEPING SOUND THAT STEADILY BEEPS TILL YOU RISE ABOVE 15 MPH. ALSO, THE LIGHTS STAY ON AND SINCE FORD BUILT THESE VANS ALL THE SAME WAY, YOU CANNOT SIMPLY FIX IT WITHOUT SPENDING AT LEAST 500 DOLLARS IF YOUR LUCKY. ALSO, ANOTHER PROBLEM HAS RISEN JUST RECENTLY. MY TRANSMISSION HAS STARTED TO SLIP. I EXPECTED NORMAL WEAR-AND-TEAR, BUT IT SEEMS THAT WHEN YOU REACH A CERTAIN THRESHOLD, AS MANY OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED ONCE HITTING 65000 MILES ON THIS PARTICULAR VAN, THE TRANSMISSION GOES COMPLETELY. I WOULD LIKE TO SEND AN AWARENESS TO FORD TO FIX THIS PROBLEM IN THEIR NEWER VANS, IF A PROBLEM EMERGED AND TO FUTURE BUYERS OF THIS YEAR OF VAN. THIS HAS COST ME OVER 2500 DOLLARS AND I MUST ADMIT, IS NOT WORTH IT. THIS VAN IS BY FAR THE WORST INVESTMENT I HAVE EVER MADE, AND I DO NOT RECOMMEND BUYING ONE. THANK YOU.*AK